Box-car door



3,468,796 R. A. BOWEN BOX CAR DOOR Filed Dec. 24, 1920 2 SheetsSheet 1Sept. 25, 1923. 1,46,7Q6

R. A. BOWEN BOX CAR DOOR Filed Dec. 24. 1920 2 sneets sheet 2 :EatentedSept. 25, 1923.,

ROBERT Bowen-or sroxann wnsnrneron.

Box-can noon.

Application filed December '24, less. Serial No. 432,317.

T all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. BowEN, a citizen of the'Unlted States ofAmer1ca,re siding at N. 1013 Crestlme Street, Spokane,

in the county of Spokane, State of Wash- 'ington, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Box-Car Doors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention pertains to box cars, and has for'its object to provide amore practical, durable and otherwise efiicient means for closing theopening in a box car. Special objects are to provide a means forsuspending the door that can not become detached, to provide a means forholding the door against the side of the car when the same is open justas securelyas the door can be held over the opening, to provide meansfor guiding the door in closing so that the door will always occupy thesame vertical position, so that the same is adjusted to position forsealing, to provide strengthening and protective means for the door andmeans whereby the door will not stick and be dificult of opening byreason of the swelling of the wood from moisture.

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is abroken-away side elevation of a box car showing my improvedconstruction.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of a pin used in fastening andsealing the door. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on theline 4.& of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken onthe line 55 of Figure l and Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental view ofone of the strips at the side of the door opening. In a detaildescription in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, the side wall 10 of the car is of ordinary construction.An opening 11 is provided in the car side 10 and vertical strips 12 and13 mounted one on each sideof the opening 11. A further vertical striplet is mounted at a distance from the strip 13 equal to the distance ofthe strip 13 from the strip 12 in order that the door .15 may be shiftedfrom its shown closed position between the strips 12 and 13 to the space16 between the strips 13 and 14 when it is desired to open the door.Mount- The invention will be hereinafter particularly described edspaced relation toeach other along the 1 car side 10 and near the topthereof are brackets 17, 18 and19 in'which is mounted a rod 20 held-inposition -by pins 21. Hangers" tions'23' extending outwardly beyond theother'edges of the door 15 and upwardly extending portions 24 throughwhich the rod 7 "20' is extended and by means of which-the '22areisecured to the do0r'15 and have pordoor 15 is slidabl-y suspended insuch a manner that there can'be no disconnection in f sliding the door15 fromone' positl'onto another. A jam 25 secured to car side 10 nearthe top of the opening 11 coming in contact ith one of the hangers 22serves to position the door '15 laterally when closing and a like jam 26mounted on the car side 10 near the top thereof and extending over thestrip 14 serves to position the door 15 in the space 16 laterally.

Mounted transversely across the do0r 15 and secured thereto as by rivets27 are supporting metal portions 28. The portions 28 areprovided withU-shaped openings 29. Mounted on thestrips 12, 13 and 14 are keepers 30.When the door 15 isrswung over thefopening 11-or space 16 and droppedinto the opening 11 or space 16, these keepers 30 striking into theU-shaped openings 29 of the portions 28 in the vertical adjustment ofthedoor serve'to guide the door always to the same vertical position,thereby transferring the weight of the door, to a great extent, from therod 20 to the strips 12, 13 and 14. Pins 31 secured by chains 32 to theportions 28 are passed through openings through the portions 28 andthrough i the keepers 30 and serve to help hold the door 15 in a rigidclosed position. Openings 33 in the bottom of the pins 31 provide meansfor sealing the door 15 closed.

A keeper 3 lbeneath the opening 11 in the car side 10 and a keeper 35beneath the space 16, provide means for holding the door 15 closed as isshown in the drawings, and it is desired to open the same, the pins 31and 36 are manually removed from the keepers 30 and 36 respectively, thelower end of the door 15 manually raised outwardly a foot or eighteeninches by means of a hand hold on, the handle Q3 and the door manuallyshifted along the rod 20 until one of the hangers 2a strikes against thebracket 19 and the other against the bracket 18. The door 15 is thendropped to position in the space 16 and the pin 36 inserted in thekeeper 35 and one of the pins 31 in the keeper 30 on the strip 13.

When it is desired to again close the door 15, substantially the sameprocess is gone opening with its sides adapted to fit against saidstrips, a rod horizontally mounted on the side of the car above thedoor, hangers attached to the door having portions slidably engagingsaid rod, keepers on said strips, supports arranged transversely on thedoor having U shaped guides therein adapted to engage the keepers on thestrips and pins for fastening said supports and. keepers together,whereby the Weight of the door is partially supported by said strips.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature in presence of a witness.

ROBERT A. BOl/VEN.

lVitness L. L. WVEsTrALL.

